Tape dispenser



Dec. 23, 1952 1 P, DURST 2,622,681

TAPE DISPENSER ATTE RN EYS Dec. 23, 1952l p BURST 2,622,681

' TAPE DISPENSER Filed March 17, 1947 y 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 11574. ff f5@ 6 60) 35 Y ,Zo/l 2 204 202 fi-m d of ATTEIRNEYS Dec. 213, 1952 1 p, BURST 2,622,681

TAPE DISPENSER Filed March 17, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 cw20@ l INVENTOR. LeerB url M Z4 26 Lamo 70 ATTE! RN EYB Dec. 23, 1952 L p, BURST 2,622,681

TAPE DISPENSER Filed March 17, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 REQEM ATTCI R N EYB Dec. 23, 1952 L.. P. DURsT 2,522,681

TAPE DISPENSER Filed March 17, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

L eJerR Durst' ATTD RNEYB Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE DISPENSER Lester P. Durst, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application March 17, 1947, Serial No. 735,179

6 Claims. l

The present invention relates generally to a tape dispenser, and more particularly to a machine for dispensing strips of predetermined length from a continuous roll of tape.

The machine in accordance with the present invention is intended primarily for use in dispensing strips of adhesive tape of the normally tacky or pressure-sensitive type usually comprising a paper, cloth, or cellulosic backing coated on one side with a highly cohesive material, the adhesive character of which is not dependent upon prior conditioning by the employment of heat or a solvent. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that my improved dispenser may also be advantageously employed in dispensing measured strips from rolls of other types of material, such as for example, ordinary gummed paper which must bemoistened to render it adhesive prior to its application for the wrapping of packages or the like.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser of the type described which may be entirely manually operated and wherein the tape measuring mechanism may be easily and rapidly adjusted for the dispensing of strips of various lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape having a tape shearing device which may be manually set in cocked position and which is operatively associated with the tapmeasuring mechanism for automatic operation at the precise point desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide `a tape dispenser of the type described wherein the tape measuring mechanism may be set into various positions of adjustment at any time, either before or after cocking the shear mechanism.

An additional object oi the invention is to provide a tape guiding assembly for a dispenser of the type described having tape contacting surf iaces curved in such manner as to impart a temporary transverse curvature to the tape tending to hold the latter erect and adding rigidity thereto to improve the shearing operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide a tape dispenser of the type described having improved guard devices associated with the tape shearing mechanism which are automatic and double-acting to prevent accidental injury to the operator of the machine.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tape dispenser of the typedescribed employing ya compartmented construction wherein 'i the major portion of the dispensing mechanism is separated from the roll of tape in such manner that a new tape roll may be easily and quickly installed and will be largely protected against dirt, tearing land undue drying out.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide a tape dispenser of the type described wherein the tape can feed in only one direction and thus cannot backlash or cause substantial error in the shearing operation in the event the manual pull on the t-ape should be temporarily interrupted; to provide serrated structure at the regions of contact between the adhesive portions of the tape and the feeding apparatus to prevent undue sticking; and to provide a notched tape supporting structure at the outlet of the machine so that the tape may be readily grasped by the operator to initiate a dispensing operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a preferred form of a dispensing machine in accordance With the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the machine of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view showing an upper rear corner of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View through the machine taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but taken along the line Y5--5 of Fig. 1; p

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the machine taken in a horizontal plane along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 'l is a transverse cross-sectional view of the machine taken in a vertical plane along the line 'l--l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the working parts of the machine in another operating position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating the parts in still another operating position;

Fig. 10 is a detailed top plan view to an en-A larged scale of the shear mechanism shown in Fig. 6, portions of the structure being broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. l1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view 3 through the shear mechanism taken substantially along the line I I-I l of Fig.

Fig. 12 is a detail transverse cross-sectional view through the tape measuring or indexing mechanism per se, constituting an important part of the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail elevational view illustrating a portion of the tape measuring mechanism of Fig. 12 to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detail elevational 4view of the tape supporting reel illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 15 is a transverse cross-sectional view through a portion of the tape measuring mechanism taken substantially along the line |5l5 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 16 is a transverse cross-sectional View through the indexing mechanism taken substantially along the line IE-l of Fig. 12;

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view through the reel and supporting structure taken substantially along the line ITI-l1 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary detail View to an enlarged scale illustrating the latch means shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 19 is a transverse View partially in cross section illustrating a detail of the guard device and taken substantially along the line l9-l9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 20 is a transverse cross-sectional view through a portion of the feeding apparatus taken substantially along the line 23-20 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 21 is a detail perspective of the blade guards.

Referring now in more detail to the various figures of the -drawing and in particular to Figs. 1 I

to 7 thereof, the improved tape dispensing machine in accordance with the present invention is seen to comprise a substantially closed rectangular housing designated generally by reference numeral 22 mounted upon a flat rectangular base 24. As best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7 the base 24 is provided with a pair of angle brackets having horizontal faces 26 secured thereto as by means of suitable screws 28 and serving to support a longitudinally extending inner vertical wall or partition 30 attached to the vertical faces 29 of the brackets as by means of suitable screws 32. A similar pair of angle brackets having their horizontal faces 34 secured to the base 24 as by means of the screws 36 serves to support one of the outer vertical side walls 38 of the housing which is attached to vertical bracket faces 4l) as by means of the screws 42. Adjacent their upper portions the side wall 38 and inner wall 30 are suitably drilled 5f to receive a pair of through bolts vlli held in place as by means of washers 46 and lock nuts 68.

Referring again particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, the inner vertical wall or partition 3!! is provided at its upper portion with a pair of angle brackets similar to those described above and having one face 50 attached thereto as by means of suitable screws 52. The other faces 54 of these brackets are adapted to be secured as by means of screws 56 to a suitably bent strip preferably of metal which constitutes the end walls 58 and top E523 of the housing 22.

The space enclosed within the inner wall the outer wall 38, the base 24, the ends 5B and top 6Fl constitutes a compartment designated generally by reference numeral B2 which serves to house a majority of the various operating elements of the dispenser mechanism. A second compartment designated generally by reference numeral 64 of somewhat smaller dimensions is enclosed between the base 24, end walls 58, top 6l), inner wall 30 and a movable closure 66 constituting the other outer side wall of the housing 22. The closure 66 is pivoted at its lower end as by means of bushings S8 to pivot pins 'I0 mounted in the end walls 58 and is provided at its top portion with latch means in the form of a cutaway bolt 'l2 rotatably mounted within the closure G5. A knurled operating handle 14 is adapted to rotate the projection T15 upon the bolt into o1' out of engagement with a lug 'F8 attached to the top 60 of the housing.

The construction of this latch is illustrated in detail in Fig. 18, wherein it will be noted that the bolt 'l2 is preferably formed as a separate element and is attached to the rotatable shaft of the latch as by means of a set screw 82. The compartment 64 contains part of the tape feeding apparatus as well as the roll of adhesive tape to be dispensed and it will be apparent that the closure 66 upon actuation of the latchoperating handle 14 may be swung open about its pivots 88, TE! to the dotted line position of Fig. in order to provide access to the compartment G4 for the purpose of renewing the tape roll or making any necessary adjustments or the like. It will be noted from the description thus far that the housing 22 is divided into two separate compartments 52 and S4, each of which is substantially completely closed in such manner that the operating mechanism of the dispenser is largely separated from the roll of tape so that it is not necessary to open up the mechanism each time the tape roll is renewed, which would admit dust or other foreign particles into the mechamsm, while at the same time the tape roll is adequately enclosed to prevent substantial drying out or other deterioration.

That portion of the dispenser which I have chosen to refer to generally as the tape feeding apparatus is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 4, 7 `and 20. Referring particularly to Fig. 4, an ordinary conventional roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 84 wound upon a narrow cylindrical backing 85 of cardboard or the like is shown in its operative position mounted for rotation in a vertical plane upon a. reel designated generally by reference numeral 85. As shown particularly in Figs. 14 and 17 the reel 86 comprises a circular disc 83 rotatably mounted by means of a lcentral aperture upon the reduced inner shoulder of a bushing 90. The bushing in turn is mounted upon a stub shaft or spindle 92 in any suitable manner as by means of a set screw Si, lthe spindle 92 being suitably secured in any convenient manner as by riveting, staking or the like to the inner wall 30 and the disc 88 being spaced from the inner wall as by means of a washer 96 surrounding the spindle S2 and abutting the inner reduced portion of the bushing Sil. At suitably spaced points about its periphery the disc 88 is provided with a plurality of projecting fingers 98 attached thereto as by riveting or the like and shown in the present case as comprising four in number. The fingers 98 are provided with a generally flattened portion S9 at their radially outward faces for engagement with the inner face of the tape roll backing cylinder S5 and preferably at least two of the fingers 98 are provided with internally threaded bores to receive set screws having enlarged knurled heads Hill adapted to engage the outer edge of the tape roll 613 to hold the latter in position upon the reel.

The free end of tape |02 of the tape roll 3:3 is

led from the reel 86 in a generally horizontal direction to an idler wheel |04 mounted for rotation in a vertical plane upon the inner lwall 30 in any convenient manner as by means of a stub shaft |06 secured in the wall 30 and a washer |98 held in place by means of a cotter pin H0. The free end of the tape |62 is led around the idler wheel |94 and thence upwardly to a generally vertical guide plate I I2 adjustably mounted within the compartment 64. As shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 20, the guide plate ||2 is of generally angular shape having its flat side attached to the inner wall 30 by means of a machine screw 4 and washer |I6, the screw ||4 extending through a notch I |8 so that the position of the guide plate may be adjusted relative to the idler wheel |04. The other face of the guide plate I I2 as shown in Fig. 20 is provided with a transversely concave surface |20 extending upwardly from a point just above the idler wheel |04 and adapted to engage in sliding contact the back or nonadhesive face of the free tape end |02.

Referring once again to Figs. 4 and 20, the tape feeding apparatus also includes means for engaging the adhesive face of the free tape end to hold the nonadhesive face thereof in contact with the guide plate ||2 and to impart a transverse curvature to the tape to improve the shearing operation by increasing the rigidity thereof. As shown in these figures, this means comprises an arm |24 pivotally mounted at one end |26 for free rotation upon a bolt |28, the latter being secured in any convenient manner in the inner wall 30. A suitable tension spring |30 attached at one end to a screw |32 secured to the inner wall 30 and at its opposite end to a pin |34 mounted upon the arm |24 constantly urges the arm |24 in a counterclockwise direction tending to move its free end towards the curved face |20 of the guide plate I l2. At its free end the arm |24 is provided with a stub shaft |36 suitably attached thereto as by riveting or the like upon which is rotatably mounted a guide wheel I 38 held in place as by means of a washer |40 and Cotter pin |42. The guide wheel |38 is provided with a transversely convex periphery adapted to conform to the concave face |20 of the guide plate ||2 and is serrated to provide 4a plurality of radially extending teeth indicated by reference numeral |44 to prevent undue sticking between the wheel |38 and the adhesive faceA of the tape end |02 at their region of contact.

'The guide wheel |38 is also provided with suitable means to insure unidirectional rotation thereof during feeding of the tape in order to prevent any backlash and as shown in Figs. 4 and 20, such means comprises a ratchet wheel |46 secured to the wheel |38 as by means of one or more pins |48 and adapted to engage one end of a pawl |50. The pawl |50 is rotatably mounted upon a pin |52 on the arm |24 and is urged against the teeth of the ratchet wheel |46 by the pressure of a spring |53 rmly attached to the paw] |50 and having its opposite end tensioned against a suitable pin |54 also mounted on the arm |24. It will be apparent that as the free end |02 of the tape is manually pulled upwardly, the guide wheel |44 will press the tape against the curved face |20 of the guide plate ||2 in such manner as to cause the tape to be curved transversely to :conform to the mating curved surfaces of the wheel and plate, the wheel |44 rotating freely in one direction during such feeding operation. When it is desired to replace the tape roll 84, the arm |24 may be swung in a clockwise direction to move the wheel |44 away from the plate I2, thus permitting the free end of the tape |02 to be properly threaded in feeding position.

The means for shearing the free end of the tape |02 after the desired length has been withdrawn from the dispenser is best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11. Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be noted that the top edge of the inner wall 30 has been suitably cut away adjacent one corner to form a relatively large rectangular opening |56. A horizontal plate |58 is attached to the inner wall 30 by means of a downwardly angled portion |60 held in place by means of suitable screws |62 in such manner that the top surface of the horizontal plate |58 is approximately even with the bottom edge of the opening |56. A pair of cooperating shear blades |64 and |66 are pivotally mounted upon the plate |58 as by means of a pair of bolts |68 and |10 suitably threaded into the latter in such manner that the sharpened edges of the blades |64 and |66 slightly overlap as indicated by reference numeral |12 in Fig. l1 when the blades are in closed position. The shear blade |64 is provided with a spur gear |14 securely attached for joint rotation therewith as by means of a pin |16. In similar manner the shear blade |66 is like- 'wise provided with a spur gear |18 secured for joint rotation thereto as by means of a pin |80. A suitable washer |82 is provided between the spur gear |18 and the blade |66 to properly space the latter one blade thickness higher than the blade |64 in order that the blades may properly cooperate to perform a shearing operation. f It will be noted in Fig. l0, wherein the shear blades are shown in open position in dotted lines, that the axes of the spur gears |14 and |18 are slightly displaced laterally of the plate |58 as well as longitudinally thereof in order that only the spur gear |14 may be engaged by the shear driving mechanism, the spur gear |18 being in engagement With and driven by the gear |14. As shown particularly in Figs. 6 and. 10, there is .provided an elongated through slot |84 adjacent one corner of the horizontal plate |58 through which extends a vertical pin |86 attached to one end of a rack bar |88 having teeth |90 along a portion of one edge in engagement with the teeth on the spur gear |14 for driving the latter to effect a shearing operation. The operation of the rack bar |88 will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring once more to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 an also to Figs. 1 and 3, I have provided as part of my improved dispenser a guard mechanism for preventing accidental injury to the operator of the machine as well as to prevent premature operation of the shearing device. As shown particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, the horizontal plate 58 is provided along its longitudinal edge remote from the downwardly turned bracket |60 with 'an upwardly turned portion forming a substantially vertical wall |02, one of the lower corners of which is beveled as at |93 in such manner as to rest against one of the through bolts 44 and the top of which is suitably shaped to conform to the inner surface of the top 60 of the housing. Aligned pairs of openings are formed in the Wall 30 and plate |82 adjacent opposite ends of the latter within which are journaled a pair of shafts |94 and |96 having substantial portions projecting beyond the wall 36 and into the compartment 64. A pair of guard elements |98 and 200 are suitably mounted in any convenient manner as by means of the pins 232 and 2641113011 the projecting portions of the shafts |94' andl |66, respectively, and are preferably formed as lmetal stampings having their peripheral edges turned downwardly to form inverted channel-shaped sections. The guard elements |63 and 266' are shown in detail in Figure 21. The guard' element 266 isV provided at its free end with a cut-away portion in its top surface within which is mounted a roller 26.5 journaled between the projecting sides 265 of the guard upon a pair of pins 208 as illustrated in detail in Fig. 19. The roller 206 serves to guide the free end |62 of' the tape as it is withdrawn from the dispenser between the guard elements.

The opposite'ends of the shafts 64 and |66 also project a slight distance beyond the plate |82 and are provided at these projecting ends with oppositely extending crank arms 2|6 and 2 |2, theformer extending in an upward direction and the latter in a downward direction and the two being interconnected for joint opposite rotation by means of a curved tic plate 2 |4 journaled respectively on. the crank pins 2|6 and 2m of the arms 2li] and 2|2. The shaft |64 is also provided with a downwardly projecting crank arm 220 lying between the walls |62 and 3|! adjacent the latter and secured to the shaft by means of a pin 222. The free end of the downwardly projecting crank arm '226 is provided with a crank pin 224' for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully explained. A boss 226 projects outwardly from the wall 292 and is provided at its outer'end with a spring 226 attached there- 7 to in any convenient manner as by means of a screw 236. The ends of the spring 223 bear against the outer face of the tie plate 2|4 in such manner as to frictionally hold the latter against any unintentional movement, thus servingtoV immobilize the guard elements 68 and 2M except when the latter are positively actuated by a mechanism to be described below.

The mechanism thus far described comprises the structure of the housing proper, the apparatus for feeding the tape during dispensing, and theV shearing device with its associated guards for safely performing the shearing operation after a predeterminedY length of tape has been withdrawn from the dispenser. It should now be appa-rent that the dispensing operation is intended to be accomplished manually by grasping the free end of the tape and pulling it through the feeding apparatus until it is severed by the shears. In order that this operation may be accomplished with facility the top 60 of the housing 22 is cut away to provide a rectangular aperturev designated by reference numeral 6| in Fig. 1 overlying the region of the guards |98 and 266 and the shear blades |6e and |66 so that the operator may insert his 'fingers through the aperture 6| and past the guards to grasp the free end of the tape which is adjacent the notch |22 in the guide plate H2. It will be noted by refer- 4ring to Fig. 3 that I have also provided a segmentary cut-away portion 59 in the upper edge of the closure member 56 and constituting a continuation or" the aperture 6| for a like purpose. The means for operating the shears and the guards comprises a power-actuated mechanism including various cooking elements :for presettlng the shears. in ready condition as well as a sear mechanism for releasing the cocked shear blades at-the proper instant. As a part of the cooking 8. and releasing operations, the guards are positively moved between blade obstructing and blade clear positions.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it will be noted that the `pin |86 which projects downwardly from the rack bar |88 previously referred to is connected to one end of a relatively heavy tension spring 232 the other end of which is secured to a similar pin 234 rigidly attached to the plate |58 so that the rack bar |86 is constantly urged toward the right in Fig. 5 to tend to close the shear blades |64 land |66 together. In order to move the rack bar |88 to the left against the tension of the spring 232 to open the shear blades |64 and |65 I have provided a compound lever 236 pivotally mounted upon a .pin 238 as by means of a washer 24) and cotter pin 242, the pin 238 being threaded or otherwise securely engaged in the inner wall 30. One arm 244 of the compound lever 236 is provided with a lateral-ly extending curved cam surface 246 adapted to be abutted by the head 248 of a plunger 250 which projects outwardly through the top 6! of the housing and is provided with a generally circular operating disc 252. A second arm 254 of the compound lever 236 is offset to lie in a different vertical plane from that containing the arm 244 and projects outwardly at substantially right angles to the latter in such manner as to be received within an elongated slot 256 formed adjacent the righthand end of the rack bar |83. A third arm 258 of the compound lever 236 also extends at approximately right angles to the arm 244 and is slightly offset to lie in a vertical plane which also vcontains the crank pin 2 6 for a reason which will hereinafter become apparent. A tension spring 266 is secured at one end to the arm 253 and at its other end to a pin 262 mounted in the inner wall 39 in such manner as to constantly urge the compound lever 236 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5.

It will now be apparent that as the plunger 256 is depressed manually, the head 248 will engage the cam surface 246 of the arm 244, thus rotating the compound lever 236 in a counter-clockwise direction against the tension of spring 260 so that the arm 254 will abut against the lefthand edge of the slot 256, thus forcing the rack bar |88 to the left to open theV shear blades |64 and |66. At the same time the arm 258 of the -compound lever 236 will be rotated into position to abut the crank pin 2|6 on the crank arm 2 l0, 'thus rotating the latter and its pivot shaft |94 in a counter-clockwise direction. In order to provide adequate room for the various movements of the arm 258 and the crank arm 2|@ and pin 2| 6, the top 60. of the housing 22 is provided with an upwardly-dished portion designated by reference numeral 23. Such rotation of the shaft |84 causes the guard |98 to be moved downwardly or int-o open Iposition and through the tie plate 2|4. The crank arm 2| 2 is likewise caused to rotate but in a clockwise direction to similarly move the guard 206 in a downward direction. Thus at the limit of downward movement of the plunger 250 the compound lever 236 will have been rotated in a counter-clockwise direction suliciently to have moved the rack bar 5.86 to its extreme lefthand position, thereby opening the shear blades |64 and |66 and at the same time the guards |98 and 266 will have been moved downwardly into open or blade obstructing position.

In order to hold the rack bar |68 in cocked position l have provided a sear assembly in the `form of a lever 254-pvotally mounted. as by means of a washer 266 and cotter pin 268 upon a pin 278 rmly secured in any convenient manner in the inner wall 38. The lever 264 is provided with a shouldered portion 212, the inclined cam face of which is adapted to engage the right-hand end of rack bar |88 to hold the latter in its left-hand or cocked position. A tension spring 274 is secured at one end to the lever 264 and at its opposite end to the pin 232, thus tending to cause the lever 284 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. to cause the shoulder 212 to engage the end of the ra-ck bar |88 and hold the latter in cocked position. t

In order to hold the shoulder 2l2 in engagement with the rack bar |68, I have provided another lever 2'16 pivotally mounted as by means of a washer 278 and cotter pin 288 upon a pivot pin 282, the latter being rmly attached to the wall 36 in any convenient manner. A tension spring 284 is attached at one end to a downwardly extending arm 288 of the lever 216 as by means of a suitable pin 288 and is anchored at its other end to a suitable pin 298 secured in the inner wall 38 thus constantly tending to rotate the lever 2116 in a counter-clockwise direction. The lever 216 is provided with another arm 232 extending substantially horizontally therefrom and provided with a shouldered portion at its outer extremity adapted to engage the lower end of an arm 294 projecting downwardly from the lever 264 in such manner as to hold the latter latched in its limit position of counter-clockwise rotation.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I have also provided means for rotating the lever 2l6 in a clockwise direction to release the arm 254 from the shouldered arm 282 and thus permit the lever 264 to be rotated in a clockwise direction by the camming action of the rack bar |88 against the shouldered portion 212 -to operate the shear blades. rlhis release mechanism is illustrated as comprising another lever 283 mounted upon the pivot pin 232 and having three arms 236, 298 and 386. The arm 298 is provided with a laterally projecting portion 362 which lies between the arms 286 and 292 of the lever 216. It will thus be apparent that if the arm 286 is moved upwardly or in a clockwise direction, the arm 298 will also move in a clockwise direction, causing the laterally projectingportion 382 to engage theY arm 286 moving the latter downwardly against the tension of spring 284 to initiate the shearing action referred to above. The mechanism for moving the arm 296 upwardly or in a clockwise direction will be hereinafter more fully described and comprises the adjustable tape measuring mechanism consituting an important part of my improved dispensing machine.

It will be noted that the arm 380 is bifurcated for rocking engagement with a lever arm 304 pivotally mounted for oscillation about the pivot pin 236. This last-mentioned lever arm is integral with an oppositely extending arm 366 adapted to engage the crank pin 224 of the crank arm 228.. Thus when the arm 295 is moved by the tape measuring mechanism in a clockwise direction to initiate a lshearing operation, the iirst movement causes the arm 304 to move in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby also moving `arm 386 in a counter-clockwise direction to rotate the shaft |34 in a clockwise direction and thus raise both of the guards |98 and 200 into their closed or blade-clear position.

The tape measuring mechanism which may be adjusted into lvarious positions to release the seal' assembly described above and thus cause the shear blades to perform a shearing operation at the desired time is best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15 and 16. Referring now particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 12, it will be noted that I have provided a contact wheel 368 having a relatively soft rubber or other tire 3|!) around its periphery adapted to frictionally engage the outer periphery of the tape roll 84 when in operative position and to be driven by the latter. The wheel 348 is rigidly connected to one end of a stub shaft 3|2 which is rotatably mounted within a bushing 3 l 4 carried at the lower end of a swinging arm Slt. is located within the compartment 64, whereas the swinging arm 3|6 is pivotally mounted Within the compartment 62 upon an axle 318 secured in the inner wall 38 as by means of a suitable nut 328. In order to permit relatively free movement of the wheel 368 toward and away from the tape roll 84, the inner wall 30 is provided with an arcuate aperture 322 through which the shaft 3|2 and bushing 3|4 extend.

At its opposite end the stub shaft 3|2 carries a spur gear 324 rigidly held in place therein as by means of a nut 326 for joint rotation with the wheel 388 as the latter is driven by the tape roll 84. The spur gear 324 is in mesh with another gear 328 secured in any convenient manner as by means of pins 33|) to a shouldered portion of a ratchet disc 332 having a plurality of evenly spaced teeth 334 along the peripheral edge of one of its faces and also pivotally mounted for rotation about the axle 3|8. As shown in Fig. 12 suitable washers 336 and 336 are inserted between the ratchet disc 332 and arm 3| 6 and between the arm 3|6 and the wall 3U, respectively, to provide proper alignment of the parts. and the assembly thus far described is held against axial displacement along the axle 3|8 by means of a shoulder 348 formed on the latter and engaged within a similarly shaped recess at the center of the ratchet disc 332. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the wheel 388 is constantly urged against the tape roll 84 by means of a tension spring 342 connected at one end to the swinging arm 3|6 and suitably anchored at its opposite end to the inner wall 38 in any convenient manner as by means of the screw 344.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 12, it will be noted that the -axle 3|8 is provided with a portion 346 extending axially beyond the shoulder 340 and ratchet disc 332 and slidably received within a counterbore 348 formed in the end of an index shaft 350. The index shaft 350 isrotatably mounted within a suitable aperture formed in the side wall 38 of the housing and carries at its outer end an index cylinder 352 held in pla-ce thereon as by means of a machine screw 354 and secured against rotation relative thereto in any convenient manner as by means of a set screw 356. The index cylinder 352 is provided with indicia on its outer periphery suitably graduated in increments of tape length as indicated generally by reference numeral 358 in Figs. 1, 6 and 7, and is also provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 360 on its inner face preferably corresponding in number to the teeth 334 of the ratchet disc 332. The outer Wall 38 of the housing adjacent the index cylinder 352 is provided with a marker plate 362 secured thereto in any convenient manner as by means of a screw 364, the plate 362 carrying an indicator 366 adapted to coopcrate with-the indicia 358 for visually determin- It will be noted that the wheel 308' 11 ing various settings of the index cylinder 352 and also is provided with a lug 368 selectively engageable with the teeth 335]. It will thus be apparent that the particular external indicia 356 upon the index cylinder 352 which is at any time opposite the indicator 35S will determine which of the teeth 380 is in engagement with lug 368.

Interiorly of the outer wall 38, the index shaft 350 is provided with a collar 330 held firmly in place thereon as by means of a set screw 372 and having a projecting radial lug 3:'4 thereon. A leaf spring 316 attached to Ithe inside of the outer wall 38 in any convenient manner as by means of a set screw 378 bears against the outer face of the collar 330 and urges the latter constantly toward the right in Fig. 12, thus serving to retain the index shaft 350 telesc-oped over the projecting portion 346 of the axle 3|8 and thereby maintaining the teeth 368 in engagement with the lug 358. It will be apparent that the index cylinder 352 may be set at any time by manually pulling it outward or Ito the left in Fig. 12, rotating it to the desired position, land releasing it at which time the spring 376 will force the index shaft and cylinder to the right yto reengage the lug 368 with the newly selected one of the teeth 366.

Located just to the right of the collar 370 in Fig. 12 is a second and larger collar or spool 380 which is freely slidable axially of the index shaft 356. Intermediate its ends the spool 380 is provided with a pair of diametrioally oppositely extending bosses 382 as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. rIhe bosses 382 serve to pivotally mount the bifurcated ends 384 of a yoke 386, the ends 384 being held in place on one of the bosses by 'means of a screw 388 and upon the other boss by means of a screw 390 provided with a compression spring 352 constituting a firm frictional engagement between that particular end 384 and its associated boss 382 to prevent unintentional shifting or pivotal movement of the yoke 386. The yoke 38B (Figures 5 and 13) is also provided with a pair of circumferentially spaced arms 334 and 356 extending laterally therefrom and adapted to respectively engage the arm 296 of lever 283 and the teeth 334 of the ratchet disc 332. The yoke 306 is also provided with an arm 365 adapted in one position to abut the vradial lug 314. At its extreme righthand portion, as seen in Fig. 12, the spool 386 is also provided with an internal chamber or housing 398 in which is mounted a spiral coil spring 400 having its inner end secured to the index shaft 350 as by means of a set screw 402 and having its outer end attached in any convenient manner to the rim of the housing 398, thus serving to resiliently resist relative rotation between the spool 380 and the index shaft 350.

The edge of the arm 336 which is adapted to contact the teeth 334 of the ratchet disc 332 extends radially somewhat beyond these teeth as shown in Figs. 9 and 13 in position to be contacted by the inclined cam surface 404 formed on the upturned edge of the lower arm 436 of an arcuate lever 408. The lever 408 is pivotally mounted upon the inner wall 30 as by means of a pin 4|0 held in place by a suitable washer 4|2 and cotter pin 4|4 and is provided with an upwardly extending arm 4|6 lying in the path of the rack bar |88 and adapted to be engaged by the latter when in its extreme right-hand position to cause the cam surface 404 to engage the yoke arm 366 to disengage the latter from 12 the teeth 334. The lever 408 is continuously urged in a counter-clockwise direction by means of a tension spring 412 attached at one end to the upper arm 4|6 of the lever and anchored at its opposite end to the inner wall 36 in any suitable manner as by means of a pin 422 so that the cam surface 464 is held out of operating range of the yoke arm 336 except when the lever 408 is rotated in a clockwise direction by engagement of the rack bar |38 with the upper arm M5.

Operation The operation of the device may now .be described as follows: In order to prepare the dispenser for operation the operator first opens the closure member 55 by rotating the knurled handle 14 to release the bolt 'I2 from its associated lug 78 so that the closure 66 may Ibe pivoted outwardly upon the pins 'l0 thus providing access to the compartment 64. It is then possible to insert a fresh roll of adhesive tape 84 upon the reel by unscrewing the knurled heads |60, placing the cylindrical backing 85 over the fingers 98, and repositioning the knurled heads |20 and setting them up firmly against the backing 85 to hold the roll 84 in place upon the reel. During this operation the wheel 368 is manually swung to the right in Fig. l away from the reel and tape roll, the arm 3|6 pivoting about the axle 3|0 against the tension of the spring 342. When the tape roll 84 is in place, the wheel 308 is released so that the tension of spring 342 may cause the rubber or other tire 3|0 to firmly engage the outer periphery of the tape roll 84.

The free end |02 of the tape is then led substantially horizontally away from the roll 84 and is guided around the idler wheel |04 and thence upwardly along the curved face |20 of the guide plate ||2 to a position overlying the notch |22 such that it may be readily grasped by the operator upon inserting his fingers through the aperture 6|. During this threading operation, the guide wheel |44 is moved to the right in Fig. 4 away from the guide plate ||2 by swinging the arm |24 in a clockwise direction about its pivot |28 against the tension of the spring |30. After the free end |62 of the tape is in position on the curved surface |26, the arm |24 may be released to cause the guide wheel |44 to engage the adhesive surface of the tape, thus imparting to the latter a transversely curved configuration and holding it firmly in position. The closure 66 is then `pivoted back into position to close the compartment 64 and the knurled handle T4 operated to reengage the bolt 'I2 with the lug 18.

In accordance with the normal procedure which will preferably be followed the operator next adjusts the tape measuring mechanism to determine the length of strip which he desires to dispense. This is accomplished by manually grasping the index cylinder 352, pulling it outwardly away from the housing 22 a short distance suicient to disengage the teeth 350 from the lug 368 and rotating the cylinder 352 until the proper strip length as indicated by the indicia 353 registers opposite the indicator 366. At this time the cylinder 352 may be released so that it will automatically move inwardly (to the right in Fig. 12) to reengage the lug 368 with the newly selected tooth 360 under the tension of the spring 316 acting against the collar 370. It will also be noted as indicated by the dotted line showing in Fig. 12 that during this setting operation substantially the entire indexing mechanism including the index shaft 350. the collar 310, the spool 380 and its associated bosses 382 and yoke 386 as well as the housing 398 and spring 466 move with the index cylinder 352, the counterbore 348 of the index shaft 350 sliding freely around the extension 346 of the axle 3|8. Thus when the index cylinder 352 has been moved to its outer or left-hand position (dotted lines in Fig. 12) the arm 396 of the yoke 386 will be disengaged from the teeth 334 of the ratchet disc 332 and will be rotated simultaneously with the rotation of the cylinder 352 as the latter is moved to its new position of adjustment. When the cylinder 352 is released to reengage the lug 368 and the teeth 36|, the arm 396 of the yoke 386 will also reengage a diierent tooth 334 on the ratchet disc 332. It is to be particularly noted that the number of teeth 334 upon the ratchet disc 332 correspond preferably exactly in number with the teeth 366 on the inner face of the index cylinder 352 so that for every position of adjustment of the cylinder 352 the arm 396 of the yoke 386 is initially set into a corresponding different position of engagement with the teeth 334 on the ratchet disc 332. During this setting operation there is of course no tensioning of the spring 466 since the spring and its housing move freely and simultaneously with the index shaft 356.

After the index cylinder has been properly adjusted to the desired strip length, the next operation is preferably that of manually cocking the shear actuating mechanism to condition it for the automatic performance of a shearing operation. Referring particularly to Fig. 5, the cocking mechanism is illustrated in its rest or uncocked position pror to any actuation of the parts. The cooking operation is accomplished by manually lpressing downwardly upon the disc 252 to force the plunger 256 and its head 248 against the cam surface 246 at the outer end of the arm 244 of the compound lever 236. Such operation of the plunger 250 causes the compound lever 236 to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. against the tension of the spring 266 causing the offset arm 254 to engage the end of the slot 256 in the rack bar |88 and move the latter to the left. As the rack bar |88 moves to the left, it slides along the inner face of the vertical wall |92, the teeth |96 meshing with the spur gear |14 and the latter meshing with the spur gear |18 in such manner as to cause the shear blades |64 and |66 to be swung into their open or cocked position or from the full line to the dotted line position as illustrated in Fig. 10. During this movement of the rack bar |88 the depending pin |86 slides to the left within the slot |84, thus serving to tension the spring 232 against its fixed anchor `234. It will thus be apparent that the spring 232 is actually the operating spring or power source for operating the shear blades |64 and |66 to cause a shearing operation of the latter by pulling the pin |86 and rack bar |88 to the right at the proper time thereby driving the intermeshed gears |14 and |18. The relative positions of the parts after the cocking operation just described are illustrated in Fig. 8.

Upon completion of the manual cooking opera.- tion I have provided means in the form of a seal' assembly and associated parts for retaining the above described shear actuating elements in the cocked condition. Thus when the rack bar |88 has been moved substantially completely to the left into its cocked limit position, its right-hand end will have moved suiciently to clear the shouldered portion 212- of the lever 264 which will then be moved in` a counter-clockwise direc- 14 tion about its pivot 216 under Ithe impetus of the tension spring 214 reacting against its xed anchor 262 so that the inclined cam face of the shoulder 212 will prevent return movement of the rack bar |88 to the right. As the lever 264 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, its arm.

294 will move to the right from its position in Fig. 5 suiliciently to clear the shouldered portion of the arm 292 of lever 216. The lever 216 will then be free to pivot upwardly or in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot 282 under the impetus of the tension spring 284 reacting between the fixed anchor 296 and the movable pin 288 to cause the shouldered portion of the arm 292 to engage the end of arm 294 in the manner shown in Fig. 8. Since the lever 216 is held in its new position by the spring 284, the arm 294 of lever 264 will likewise be held in its new position in engagement with the substantially vertical shoulder on arm 292, thereby retaining the inclined shouldered portion 212 in its new position obstructing the return of the rack bar |88. It should be particularly noted here that while I have provided an inclined surface on the shouldered portion 212 of lever 264 so that the.

rack bar |88 may at the proper time produce a camming action thereagainst, there is no such camming action between the shouldered portion 292 of the lever 216 and the lower arm 294 of the lever 264 so that the latter will not tend to become disengaged without the application of an independent disturbing force.

The disturbing force for eiecting release of the arm 294 from the shouldered portion of arm 292 to permit the return of rack bar |88 to the right to perform a shearing operation is produced by means of the lever 283 which may be caused to rotate in a clockwise direction about its pivot 282 to engage the laterally offset abutment 3D2 of its arm 298 with the arm 286 of lever 216 to also rotate the latter in a clockwise direction against the tension of spring 284. Such clockwise rotation of lever 283 is produced by engagement of its arm 296 with the arm 334 of the yoke 386 which is caused to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction from its position shown in Fig. 5 to that illustrated in Fig. 9 by the operation of manually pulling the free end |62 of the tape from the dispenser. As the tape is withdrawn through the aperture 6|-, the tape roll 84 will be rotated thus driving the wheel 388 by engagement with the rubber tire 3|9 on the latter. The wheel 368 is drivingly connected to the spur gear 324 which thus in turn drives its interengaged gear 328 and thereby the index disc 332. It will be recalled that the arm 396 of the yoke 386 was initially set into a selected position in engagement with the teeth 334 of the index disc 332 so that as the latter is rotated by the feeding of the tape the yoke 386 will likewise be rotated (in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 5) to thereby also rotate the spool 368 on which it is mounted as well as the housing 393. However, during the rotation of the spool 380 and housing 398, the index shaft 356 is held against rotation by engagement of the lug 366 with the teeth 366 so that the shaft 356 together with the collar 310 and lug 314 are immobilized. Thus, as the housing 398 rotates, the spring 400 will be tensioned between its points of connection to the index shaft 356 and housing 398 in such manner as to tend to cause relative rotation therebetween.

After a suiicient length of tape has been withdrawn from the dispenser, that is, an amount as determined by the initial setting of the index cylinder 352, the arm 394 of the yoke 386 will conaoaaes 1 tact the arm 296 of lever 283 and move the latter to the position shown in Fig. 9 in such manner as to release the sear assembly described above and permit the rack bar |88 to move to the right under the impetus of spring 232 to eect a shearing operation. At the completion of this shearing operation during the nal states of move-r ment of the rack bar |88 to its extreme righthand position, the rack bar |88 contacts the upper arm 4I6 of the lever 488, causing the latter to rotate in a clockwise direction about its pivot 4|0. to thereby swing its lower arm 406 to the left (Fig. 9). As the lower arm 406 swings to the left, the offset cam surface 404 contacts the projecting end of the arm 396 of yoke 386, thereby forcing the arm 396 outwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 13 when it will be out of engagement with the teeth 334 of the ratchet disc 332. As soon as this disengagement of the arm 396 from the ratchet disc 332 has been effected, the spiral spring 400 which has been tensioned by the withdrawing operation will immediately cause the spool 380, together with the housing 398 and yoke 386 to rotate in retrograde movement or in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5, 8 and 9. At the limit of this retrograde rotation of the spool 380 the arm 395 of yoke 386 will be forced into contact with the lug 314 which is xed in position on the collar 310 and is immobilized by engagement of the latter with the index shaft 350. Thus the nal continued rotation of the collar 389 will, by engagement of the lug 314 and arm 395, cause the yoke 386 to be rotated about its pivots 338 and 390 in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 13, thereby causing the arm 396 to reengage the teeth 334 at a new position on the ratchet disc 332.

Reverting briefly to the initial cocking operation, it will be noted that as the plunger 250 is depressed from the position which it occupies in Fig. to that illustrated in Fig. 8, causing the compound lever 236 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 23.8, the arm 258 is likewise rotated in a counter-clockwise direction in such manner as tocontact the crank pin 2| 6` as it approaches the end of its rotational movement. During the last stages of rotation of the lever 236, the crank pin 2|6 is thus pushed by the arm 258 to the left in Fig. 5, causing the crank arm 2|0 to rotate in a counter-.clockwise direction about its pivot |94 and by means of the tie plate 2|4 simultaneously rotating the crank arm 2 |2 in a clockwise direction about its pivot |96. Such rotation of the crank arms 2|0 and 2I2 serves to impart a similarvrotation to the shafts |94 and |96 to which they are attached which in turn rotates the guards |98 and 200 inwardlyY or downwardly to the blade obstructing position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. While in this inward or downward position the guards |98 and 200 lie in the combined planes of operation of the shear blades |64 and |66 which at this time are open and cannot be closed either accidentally or intentionally until such, time as the guards |98 and 200 have been returned to their upper or blade clear position,

In order to return the guards |98` and 200 to their upper or blade clear position I have provided the second crank arm 220 carrying at` its free end the crank pin 224. During the tape dispensing operation as the free end ofV the tape is being manually withdrawn through the aperture 6|, thus causing the yoke 386 to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. as seen in Fig. ,A

the arm 394 on the yoke 386 contacts the arm 296 on lever 283l a short timeprior to the release of the sear assembly to effect a shearing operation, the actual time interval being determined by thel permissible movement ofthe offset abutment 302 on arm 298 between the two arms 292. and 286 of the lever 216. Thus, during this initial movement of the arm 296 prior to release of the sear assembly the lever 283 is rotated in a clockwise direction causing the bifurcated arm 300 to move the arm 394 in a counter-clockwise direc.- tion about its pivot 238. Such movement of the arm 304 imparts a similar counter-clockwise movement to the arm 306 causing the latter to contact the crank pin 2241 thus initiating a clockwise rotation of the shaft |94 and a simultaneblade clear positions near the beginning andend,I respectively, of a dispensing operation, the guardsv are frictionally held against undesirable displacement by means of the spring 228 which frictionally engages the tie plate 2| 4 for this purpose.

Although I have described above a preferred sequence of steps in the performance of acomplete dispensing operation, it will be apparent that the exact sequence may be varied, and in some cases desirably so, without affecting the accuracy of the operation. Thus, for example,

the cooking of the shear blades may be effected' prior to the initial adjustment of the index cylinder 352 inasmuch as these mechanisms areA impositively-connected So that the sear assembly will not be released in any event until theA tape has been withdrawn to the desired extent. In similar manner the index cylinder 352 may be readjusted during a dispensing operation to provide for the dispensing of a shorter or longer strip so long as the tape withdrawal hasvnot proceeded to such a point that such readjust ment of the index cylinder will effect a release of the sear assembly. In either case such setting or readjustment of the index cylinder at an intermediate stage during tape withdrawal will not introduce any inaccuracy in the desired measurement, since reverse movement of the tape or b acklashis prevented by the ratchet mechanism associated with the guide wheel |44 and permitting the latter to rotate only in the feeding direction.,

WhileI have described in detailonly a single preferred embodiment .of this invention, it is to be clearly understoodV that numerous changes can bemade in size, materials, and arrangement of parts withoutvdeparting from the principles of the inventionxas set forth in the appendedy claims.

I claim:

l. A machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape comprising a housing havingv an aperture therein, apparatus in said housing for feeding said tape through said aperture, a pair of shear blades adjacent said aperturehaving intermeshed gears at one end for joint operation, aurackbarslidably mounted in said housing in meshwith oneofsaid gears,

17 spring means connected to said rack bar and tending to move the latter to close said shear blades, shear cooking means including a manually operable plunger projecting from said housing and operable to move said bar against the tension of said spring means to open said shear blades and a sear assembly cooperable with said rack bar for releasably holding said blades in open position, a pair of guards pivotally mounted at opposite ends of said aperture, link means interconnecting said guards for joint movement between blade-obstructing and bladeclear position including spring means resisting such movement, and an adjustable tape measuring mechanism in said housing having mechanical connection with said apparatus, said link means, and said assembly for moving said guards to blade-clear position and subsequently releasing said blades to cut said tape after a predetermined length has been withdrawn from said machine.

2. A machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape comprising apparatus for feeding said tape, a pair of shear blades having intermeshed gears at one end for joint operation, a slidably mounted rack bar in mesh with one of said gears, spring means connected to said rack bar and tending to move the latter to close said shear blades, shear cocking means including a manually operable plunger operable to move said bar against the tension of said spring means to open said shear blades and a sear assembly cooperable with said rack bar for releasably holding said blades in open position, a pair of guards pivotally mounted adjacent said blades, link means interconnecting said guards for joint movement between blade-obstructing and blade-clear position, and an adjustable tape measuring mechanism having mechanical connection with said apparatus, said link means, and said assembly for moving said guards to blade-clear position and subsequently releasing said blades to cut said tape after a predetermined length has been withdrawn from said machine.

3. In a machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape, a tape shearing device, power means for actuating said device, a manually operable plunger for cooking said actuating means, a sear assembly operatively associated with said actuating means for releasably holding said device in cocked condition, a pair of guards pivotally mounted adjacent said device for movement into and out of position obstructing operation of the latter, link means interconnecting said guards for joint movement thereof, and an adjustable tape measuring mechanism having mechanical connection with said link means and said assembly for moving said guards out of obstructing position and subsequently releasing said device to cut said tape 18 after a predetermined length has been withdrawn from said machine.

4. In a machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape, a tape shearing device, power means for actuating said device, a pair of guards pivotally mounted adjacent said device for movement into and out of position obstructing operation of the latter, link means interconnecting said guards for joint movement thereof, and an adjustable tape measuring mechanism having mechanical connection with said link means and said actuating means for moving said guards out of obstructing position and subsequently releasing said device to cut said tape after a predetermined length has been withdrawn from said machine.

5. In a machine provided with a shearing device for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape and including means for actuating said device, a guard mounted adjacent said device for movement into and out of position obstructing operation of the latter, and a tape measuring mechanism having mechanical connection with said guard and said actuating means for moving said guard out of obstructing position and initiating operation of said device to cut said tape after a predetermined length has been withdrawn from said machine.

6. In a machine for dispensing measured strips from a continuous roll of tape, means for shearing said tape, a guard mounted adjacent said shearing means for movement into and out of position obstructing operation of the latter. and a tape measuring mechanism having mechanical connection with said shearing means and said guard for moving the latter out of obstructing position prior to operation of said shearing means.

LESTER P. DURST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,981 Fitch Mar. 9, 1948 1,056,589 Ryan Mar. 18, 1913 1,447,735 Simone Mar. 6, 1923 1,484,598 Weniger Feb. 19, 1924 1,998,245 Laukhuff Apr. 16, 1935 2,088,256 Seall July 27, 1937 2,097,031 Loewenberg Oct. 26, '1937 2,158,790 Arthur May 16, 1939 2,245,472 Goldstein June 10, 1941 2,291,668 Weigolt Aug. 4, 1942 2,345,373 Ayers Mar. 28, 1944 2,379,033 Olsson June 26, 1945 2,382,406 Engberg Aug. 14, 1945 2,382,787 Gautier Aug. 14. 1945 

